Montvale high-school football player remembered for radiating faith, joy

ROCCO RODDEN

Last week, Rocco Rodden, 17, a standout football player at St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, was remembered on Nov. 30 at his funeral Mass as an “original,” who lived out his faith with compassion, humor, and goodness that came from God.

Rodden’s faith-filled life was cut short when he was allegedly stabbed during an altercation on Thanksgiving day in lower Man­hattan, according to news reports.

Grief-stricken family and friends packed St. Vincent de Paul Church in the Stirling neighborhood of Mine Hill Township for the funeral to honor Rodden, who lived in Warren.

In his homily, Father Richard Carton, St. Vincent’s pastor, said of the 6-foot, 280-pound Rodden, “When you met him, he left an impression on your life — and you never will forget that.” He was a junior at St. Joseph’s, where he was an offensive lineman on the football team.

“His teachers talked about how much joy he brought them — how he caused them to laugh. He brought a sense of goodness that came from God,” Father Carton said. “You knew who was in his heart [Jesus] because it came out in how he lived his life. Rocco lived as an original.”

The Mass was celebrated by Father Carton and concelebrated by Father Sean Kenny, pastor of Our Lady of the Mount Parish in Warren in the Metuchen Diocese. Also present in prayer was Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who confirmed Rodden with other young people at St. Vincent’s on April 14.

“Today we give thanks to God for the gift of Rocco,” Bishop Sweeney said at the end of Mass. “As we gather in faith now, we promise our prayers to Rocco’s family.”

Among those in attendance were Rodden’s father, Douglas, mother, Angelina; and their other three children. Father Carton first met Rocco and Angelina two years ago, when they came to St. Vincent’s to inquire about Confirmation prep. The parish offers classes on the weekend — a better fit because of Rocco’s football schedule.

In class, “Rocco asked meaningful questions as he prepared for Confirmation,” Father Carton said.

Rodden was in Manhattan on the morning of his killing with his brother, Anthony, and their sister, Gianna. Anthony, 19 was injured in the attack. The accused killer, Gianluca Bordone, of Oyster Bay, L.I., is charged with manslaughter and assault, according to the Daily News.

Rodden’s obituary states he was recognized for his leadership on and off the field. He had an entrepreneurial spirit, starting a car-detailing business and working in his family business, operating earth-moving and paving equipment.

“He leaves behind a legacy of kindness, a contagiously bright smile, and a life characterized by a profound sense of caring compassion, and the utmost loyalty,” Rodden’s family said in a statement. They called him “a true warrior, the light of the darkest room, [and] the eye of the tiger.”